Palm Springs Surf Club moves closer to launch

The masterminds behind transforming an old waterpark into the “Palm Springs Surf Club” divulged further details about the wave pool plan this week.

The project at the Wet N Wild waterpark will feature a wave pool etched out by Cheyne Magnussen, BSR Surf Ranch’s former director. The financial motor behind the new desert surf project is SoCal’s Pono Partners, LLC who purchased the site from Wet N Wild last January.

“We are going to build a state-of-the-art wave pool as our centre piece,” Pono CEO James Dunlop told KESQ News. “We are going to provide a new experience for families to enjoy.”

The timeline for the project is a complete finish by 2020, but Dunlop added that these things can take longer depending on permitting. Pono Partners has submitted plans for minor changes, but not for the park’s master plan.

“We’re very excited to call the shots and deliver our own brand to Palm Springs,” said Eric Munoz, Co-founder of Pono. “This is the future of surfing. We are very fortunate to open in Palm Springs for a number of reasons. Because we’re going into an existing water park, this will also really accelerate our delivery.”

Pono Partners’ plans herald a unique moment in wave pools. As water parks around the world age and lose their appeal, revamping last century’s attractions could mean a fast-track to surf-able wave pools.

In Palm Springs the park re-vamp will also include a lazy river, water slides as well as restaurant, spa, stage area and bar.

Magnusson should know. He spent hours in the Texas heat tweaking and refining the American Wave Machines technology at the BSR Surf Ranch. He synced the timing of the machine to produce an air section and created the various skill-level settings.

Worth mentioning is that both Surf Lakes and Wavegarden have plans for Southern California wave pools at this time as well. Wavegarden stated that another desert community, Coachella, will host a full-size Cove (roughly 155m x 155m).